Psychosocial Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Women’s Health-Seeking Behaviour in Akwa Ibom State, South South Nigeria

Intimate partner violence is a pervasive public health problem in Nigeria with profound consequences for women's mental and physical health, yet its specific impact on health-seeking behaviour in South South states remains underexplored. This study investigates the psychosocial impact of intimate partner violence on health-seeking behaviour among women aged 18 to 49 years in Akwa Ibom State. A cross-sectional analytical design is applied to 285 women recruited from community health centres and women's rights organisations across Uyo, Eket, and Ikot Ekpene local government areas, using purposive and snowball sampling. The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale is used to screen for intimate partner violence exposure, and a composite health-seeking behaviour scale assesses utilisation of antenatal care, family planning, sexual health services, and emergency care. The Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Patient Health Questionnaire scales measure anxiety and depression as psychosocial mediators. Mediation analysis using PROCESS macro in SPSS examines the indirect pathways from intimate partner violence to health-seeking behaviour. Available evidence from the 2021 Nigeria Violence Against Women Survey indicates intimate partner violence prevalence of 28 percent in South South Nigeria, with exposed women 40 percent less likely to access non-emergency health services. The Ecological Framework for Violence and the Battered Woman Syndrome theory inform the conceptual analysis. Findings will support Akwa Ibom State's Ministry of Women Affairs and Health in developing integrated intimate partner violence and health service platforms. Keywords: intimate partner violence, psychosocial impact, health-seeking behaviour, women, Akwa Ibom State.